29 July 2013

The Philippine Football Federation has confirmed that the national team will be facing the Indonesia national team on August 14, 2013 in Indonesia.

"The PFF has accepted the invite of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) for a friendly mach between the A teams of Philippines and Indonesia on August 14, 2013 at Solo, Central Java, Indonesia," according to PFF General Secretary Gastanes this morning confirming the friendly between the two sides.

Although not under the FIFA Friendly dates, this will be the fourth time since 2010 that the Philippines will face Indonesia, who are currently at 168 in the FIFA rankings.

The last time that the two sides face was in June 2012 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila, where the Azkals came back from a 2-0 defecit to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Before that, they squared off in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Semifinals where Indonesia advanced to the finals with a 2-0 aggregate victory.

The Sparks coach suffered two dismissals in their 5-4 aggregate defeat to Tanjong Pagar in the second leg of the Singapore Cup quarter-finals, as counterpart Patrick Vallee fumed

Luck was not with Loyola Meralco Sparks as they crashed out of the RHB Singapore Cup against Tanjong Pagar, having ended the match with nine men in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, the Philippines club put on a brave and gutsy performance to force a 3-3 draw at the Jalan Besar Stadium as they lost 5-4 on aggregate.

It was not a surprise that Sparks coach Vincent Santos hit out at referee Sukhbir Singh for sending off his players, first Park Min Ho for a second bookable offence in the first half and then a straight red for Jang Jo Won after his challenge on Sazali Salleh in the closing stages of the match.

“The card definitely changed the game and the first yellow could have been a warning instead, but he still could have given him a last warning before showing the second yellow card," he said.

“In the first half there were fouls that was not meant to hurt [anyone]... over the course of the game, I feel it was horrible refereeing."

But the tough and physical display, which fell short of being ugly, was masterminded by Santos as he did not want to see his charges get bullied by their opponents.

“I am proud of how we fought despite going two men down but I am not happy with the results as we are out of the competition," he said.

“We needed to stay tough and from the first game we were soft and so I did not want them (Tanjong Pagar) to have easy balls or turns.”

One could sense the anger in Jaguars coach Patrick Vallee (right) when he made his way into the room for the post-match conference.

“I am very disappointed and upset with what I saw on the field and I have lost one player (Sazali, due to a broken fibula) for the rest of the season.. and it is not football [from Loyola]," the Frenchman fumed.

“If he [Santos] never saw the fault, I can show him my player's leg, he is in hospital now.

“Maybe he needed an excuse for losing the game and failing to qualify.”

Vallee then praised his players for meeting their objectives.

“We achieved what we had wanted: qualify for the semi-final and that is important," he said.

“They scored three but we scored three goals too. I am very proud of my players, we never panicked and we kept our calm and came back in the game.”

28 July 2013

A resilient Loyola Meralco side fell short of realizing a return trip to the Singapore Cup semifinals as it settled for a 3-3 draw against Tanjong Pagar United on Sunday night at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Aching to bounce back from a 2-1 loss in the first leg of the quarterfinals, the Sparks played with a sense of urgency, but failed to escape some questionable costly card bookings that left them undermanned most of the game and ultimately lost on aggregate.

The Filipino booters’ ouster denied the chance of an all-Filipino clash in the semis of the annual invitational participated by top Singapore League sides and some Southeast Asian neighbors.

The Sparks could’ve faced United Football League rival Global FC, which beat DPMM, 5-4, on aggregate in their own quarterfinal tie.

Park Min Ho drew first blood 35 minutes into the game, but the Korean received a second yellow card that led to an ejection for tackling Monsef Zerka late in the first half.

Trailing, 2-3, in the second half, the Sparks’ woes were compounded when Jang Jo Won, who scored the team’s second goal, wound up as the second casualty when he was sent off for lunging on a defender, leaving the Sparks with only nine men four minutes before stoppage.

Chad Gould scored the equalizing header off a free kick from Phil Younghusband in the 90th minute that, however, went for naught.

Tanjong Pagar United are only able to take a one-goal lead going into the second leg of their quarter-final tie with Philippines outfit Loyola Meralco Sparks.

Despite dominating the opening stages of that match, Patrick Vallee's charges were not able to stretch their advantage after storming to a two-goal lead courtesy of a goal each from Monsef Zerka and Ismael Benahmed in the sixth and 18th minutes respectively.

The visitors managed to regroup after that and narrowed the deficit after captain James Younghusband pulled a goal back for the United Football League side.

It was exhilarating end-to-end stuff in the first leg and fans can expect an even more exciting clash at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

With the match being held on a Sunday, there will be no doubt be an overwhelming support from the Philippines community here in Singapore, which Loyola coach Vincent Santos has said that they are looking forward to.

While the Jaguars heavily relied on their French quintet of Zerka, Benahmed, Anthony Aymard, Kamel Ramdani and custodian Aurelien Herisson, Loyola kept faith in their South Korean legion.

Park Min-Ho and Jang Jo-Won will be keeping guard at the backline, with Jang Jo Woong pulling the strings in midfield and Jeong Byeong Yeol forming a strikeforce partnership with Philippines international Phil Younghusband.

With only two full day of rest before their clash on Sunday, expect tiring legs to be the norm in the second half of the return tie and any mistakes made by either side then could prove to be costly.

All Tanjong Pagar have to do is prevent their opponent from scoring and they will secure progression to the semi-final as they seek a first final spot since 1998 - the year in which they won the trophy.

Global FC settled for a draw with Brunei Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota (DPMM) FC, but that was enough for the United Football League side to book a ticket to the semifinals of the 2013 Singapore Cup Saturday night at the Jalan Besar Stadium in the city-state.

Global battled DPMM to a 4-4 tie in the second leg of the quarterfinals, but the Philippine club won the series after registering an aggregate score of 5-4 thanks to its 1-nil victory in the first leg last Wednesday.

The second leg victory, however, didn’t come easily for Global, which almost blew its chance to advance to the next round.

Carli De Murga lifted Global in the first half, scoring three goals at the 20th, 37th and 45th minutes to bag an early hat trick and give his squad a comfortable 3-nil cushion.

Rufo Sanchez padded Global’s lead to 4-nil after a goal at the 55th minute.

But Global had anxious moments after seeing DPMM make a huge rally. Arturas Rimkevicius scored at the 62nd minute, while Tales Delos Santos followed it with a shot at the 69th minute.

DPMM went on to score two more goals in the last 10 minutes to tie the match at 4-4. However, the S.League side failed to complete the comeback with another goal, allowing Global to win the series.

With the victory, Global will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between fellow UFL squad Loyola Meralco Sparks and Tanjong Pagar United in the semifinals. Tanjong Pagar won the first leg, 2-1, last Thursday.

The Singapore Cup is an annual invitational tournament featuring clubs from the S.League and abroad, mostly from Southeast Asia.

This tie is far from over as Global FC only hold a slender one-goal advantage over Brunei DPMM, who were on par with their Philippines opponents in the first leg.

But the Bruneians were unlucky to concede a goal in the dying seconds of the match and were also guilty of not putting away chances presented to them.

After the 1-0 loss, coach Vjeran Simunic admitted that he was not pleased with the performance of his foreign strikers Joao Moreira and Arturas Rimkevicius.

Moreira has been sending his attempts into the wilderness in the past few matches while Rimkevicius, according to Simunic, has yet to get accustomed to the artificial pitch at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

This could mean a start for locals Azwan Ali and Adi Said to lead their frontline and snatch the early goal, which will set the clash up for an interesting battle as both side aim to progress to the semis.

While the Wasps are known for their tactical discipline and build-up play from the middle, Brian Reid's charges also worked wonders with their swift counter-attacking play, often breaking away via their flankers before sending dangerous crosses into the box for lone striker Rufino Sanchez.

Global might not be the fittest side between the two but their coach has cleverly set out a strategy that addressed their weaknesses and slowed down the tempo of the match whenever necessary.

Both sides amassed nine yellow cards between them in the first leg and the second leg will no doubt be just as physical, not forgetting the lively coaches who were having a duel of words on the touchline.

Global captain Ben Starosta, who is leading the team’s backline, might be in for a busy night as DPMM will be throwing numbers forward in the hope of overturning the tie to their favour.

25 July 2013

What had loomed as a potential goal-laden match became a far more cautious affair after Tanjong Pagar United and Loyola Meralco Sparks emerged from the dressing rooms for the second-half of Thursday night’s quarter-final first-leg tie at Queenstown Stadium.

With the second leg to come at Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday evening, both coaches expressed their belief that playing there would suit them, so the 2-1 lead Tanjong Pagar will bring with them on Sunday may not be especially important.

Sparks coach Vincent Santos, whose side finished third in the Philippines' United Football League behind Stallion FC and Global FC, explained that his side had a month off since the end of their domestic season but had continued to train.

“I don’t think the month without a game made a lot of difference,” he said.

“We were very unfortunate to concede from the very first attack that our opponents made tonight and that rocked our confidence a little.

“It was disappointing to concede from a set-piece and then falling further behind and allowing another goal to be scored; but I still fancy our chances over the two legs, as we like playing at Jalan Besar Stadium, where we will be playing on Sunday.

“We’ve had some good results there and the bigger pitch should suit our game a lot better [than Queenstown].

“Also, the crowd can get a lot closer to the action and give us a lot of vocal support."

Santos acknowledged it would not be an easy task to overturn the deficit, but remained upbeat about their chances.

“It’s going to be a tricky one, the second leg, but we are going to take a look at the video of the game and see what we can do to eliminate the mistakes and learn from the first leg," he assured.

“We [have] looked at plenty of tapes of them playing but this time we know how they played against us, which is a lot more meaningful."

The Philippine national men’s football team will face familiar foe Indonesia in a friendly match this year.

The Azkals will meet the Indonesians on August 14 at Surakarta, Indonesia, according to the latest fixtures released by world governing football body FIFA.

Ranked 144th in the world, the Filipinos are no strangers to 168th-ranked Indonesians. They met during the semifinals of the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in 2010 in which the Azkals were forced to play their home match in Indonesia due to the lack of a suitable venue in the Philippines. Indonesia prevailed on a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two sides played again last year in a friendly, this time on Philippine soil. The Azkals rallied to force a 2-2 draw.

The Philippine team, which has no major tournament scheduled this year, last saw action in their 1-0 victory against Hong Kong last June in a match marred by racial abuse of local fans toward Filipino supporters.

The Azkals are also scheduled to play a tough United Arab Emirates side in November in what could be part of their training tour in the Middle East.

The matches are part of the Azkals’ preparations for the 2014 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup in Maldives, where they aim to surpass their historic third-place finish in the same tournament last year.

24 July 2013

GLOBAL FC moved a step closer to a semifinal berth in the Singapore Cup as it escaped DPMM, 1-0, behind the endgame heroics of Rufo Sanchez Wednesday night at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.
Living up to his billing as a prized loan from United Football League champion Stallion, Sanchez fired the marginal goal five minutes into second-half stoppage time to lift the UFL runners-up to the victory in the first leg of their quarterfinals against the squad from Brunei.
The second leg is set Saturday at the playing same venue.
With Paul Mulders and Joshua Beloya pulling the strings in midfield, Global conjured chances, which it failed to convert most of the match.
The squad, with numerous Azkals mainstays in the fold, was finally rewarded late in the injury time when the Spanish Sanchez caught a long free kick from Jeffrey Christiaens before heading it in.
Meanwhile, Loyola Meralco opens its own quarterfinal campaign against Tanjong Pagar on Thursday night at the Queenstown Stadium.

THREE old cellphones and cash amounting to P5,000 were stolen during a break-in at the office of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) on Oranbo Drive in Pasig City early Tuesday morning.
PFF general secretary Atty. Ed Gastanes said investigators suspect a member of an `akyat-bahay’ gang was behind the incident.
Aside from the cellphones and cash of P2,500 each which two PFF staff lost, no other valuables such as laptops, footballs, and important documents, were stolen, according to Gastanes.
“It’s a petty crime. Some staff lost some money, pero wala namang nabuksan (na kuwarto) except for some drawers,” Gastanes said in a chat with Spin.ph at the PFF office on Wednesday.
The PFF official said the culprit could have used the fire escape to get inside the building, which always has a security guard stationed at the entrance.

23 July 2013

Philippines side Loyola Meralco Sparks have been hit with a big blow ahead of their crucial tie against Tanjong Pagar in the Singapore Cup quarter-finals.
Philippines international and Under-23 captain Mark Hartmann has been offload to fellow United Football League rival Global FC and will no longer be part of Loyola’s adventure in the most prestigious cup competition in Singapore.
The preliminary round saw the Sparks snatch a 3-0 victory over Harimau Muda, while the Jaguars saw off Boeung Ket FC of Cambodia.
Although Loyola will be without Hartmann, they can still bank on the Younghusband brothers, who are the darlings of Philippines football.
Captain James and brother Philip are no doubt the focus of the team with their build up play centered on the duo as they supply the ammunition to forwards Jang Jo Woong and Jeong Byeong Yeol.
But Tanjong Pagar is a different proposition and the visitors will have to be on their toes for the entire 90 minutes as any lapse of concentration could prove to be costly.
Patrick Vallee's side boast one of the most lethal foreign legions in the S.League in the form of ex-Morroco international Monsef Zerka and freekick specialist Kamel Ramdani.
The Jaguars are known to be tactically disciplined at the back while patiently building up their attack via the flanks, with Hafiz Nor having his best season so far.

The Philippines side might just snatch a result from the clash if they approach this match with extreme caution, not leave any gaps in midfield and hit their opponents swiftly on the break.

Although Brunei DPMM steamrolled past Lao Police with ease in the preliminary round, Global FC will present much tougher opposition for them.
The United Football League (UFL) side boast several Azkals in their squad, including the ever-reliable Jason De Jong, Misagh Bahadoran and Carli De Murga.
Captain Yu Hoshide is surprisingly not included in their squad while new signing Rufino Sanchez will be making the trip to Singapore.
Sanchez is on a one-month loan from fellow UFL side Stallion FC and was the league top scorer for the recently concluded season with 18 goals.
While confidence appears to be high in the Philippines outfit, the Bruneians are sweating on the fitness of several of their key players as they aim to progress to the semi-final.
Central defender Tales dos Santos is still on the treatment table after pulling a muscle in their clash against Tanjong Pagar United in the S.League, while striker Shahrazen Said is also out injured.
The Wasps will be banking on 40-year-old Sallehuddin Damit to hold the fort at the back while misfiring forward Joao Moreira will be eager to prove his critics wrong.
With coach Vjeran Simunic claiming that ex-Lithuanian international Arturas Rimkevicious is yet to be accustomed with the artificial turf at the Jalan Besar stadium, it may spell yet another barren spell for the 30-year-old.
But DPMM have another potent weapon up their sleeves in 21-year-old Azwan Ali, who was impressive in their previous league match against Geylang United.

The young striker showed flair and confidence with his nifty footwork and he might just prove to be the answer to DPMM’s quest for victory.

MORAGA, Calif. – Jaime Turrentine and Madison Salom of the Saint Mary’s women’s soccer team are currently in Corona, Calif., participating in the Philippine Senior Women’s National Football Team US Training camp.

The camp runs from July 24 – August 6, as the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will compete in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship 2013 at Mandalay, Myanmar from September 9-22. Participating teams include Japan U23, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines and Indonesia.

“To be able to represent the Philippine National Team is incredibly humbling,” said Salom. “I would be so privileged to play with the best team and learn from new coaches and teammates.”

Turrentine and Salom are participating in the US Camp. The pre-tournament camp runs from July 24- August 6 in Corona.

I’m really excited to have the opportunity to train with the National Team,” said Turrentine. “It’s another chance for me to learn and continue to grow and develop as a soccer player… It would be such an honor to represent the Philippines, especially since that’s where my Grandfather is from.

The camp will be used to determine the final 23 players that will compose the team for the AFF Women’s Championship in 2013.

Defending champion Dynamic Builders FC and reigning runner-up Ceres FC continue to surge in the team standing of the ongoing 2nd Conference in the North Football League played over the weekend at the Ayala North Point pitch.
Dynamic Builders FC crashed Las Buenas FC, 8-nil.
Reigning MVP Jayson Panhay opened the scoring spree in the 27th minute as Nenito Alcano nailed the second in the 30th minute as Russell Olado nailed another in the 40th minute to close the break, 3-nil.
In the second half, Jaime Poderoso scored in the 42nd minute as Ricardo Garcia shot in the 51st minute and had his second 20 minutes later. Ryan Lirio joined the scorers in the 74th minute as Alcano sealed the win in the 79th minute.
In the other match, Ceres blanked Jakalz, 13-nil behind Janrick Soriano’s six goals.
After Oliver Colina nailed an opening goal in the 4th minute, Soriano scored 4 consecutive goals in the 6th, 14th, 15th and 20th minutes. Archie Familiar and playing-team manager Leo Rey Yanson added two more in the 26th and 30th minutes to book a 7-0 advantage at the half.
Ceres wasn’t done yet as Joshua Fegidero sent the ball at the back of the net in the 42nd minute as Carlo Tacusalme shot in the 47th minute.
Scores continued to pour on Fegidero and Soriano scoring back-to-back goals in the 51st and 52nd minutes as both scored two more in the 56th and 64th minutes to end the match.
Trimaxi-Agro FC scored all their 5 goals in the first half to notch a win over Silver Dragon FC, 6-3.
Ryan Hermida started the attack in the 7th minute as Jalsor Soriano added in the 14th minute and Troy Fegidero has two consecutive goals in the 17th and 25th minutes. Meanwhile, playing-team manager Eric Gallaga scored in the 32nd minute to close the break at 5-nil.
In the second half, Silver Dragon tried to make a rally scoring 3 consecutive goals on Renz Guevarra’s 52nd minute and Marti Malubay’s 55th and 59th minutes.
Trimaxi’s Hermida, however, sealed the match in the 74th minute./WDJ

DEFENDING champion Philippine Women's College (PWC) lived up to its billing by hacking out two wins at the start of the 2nd Davao Football Association (DFA) Women's Open Football League at the Tionko football field over the weekend.

PWC crushed Ateneo de Davao University-High School, 6-1, on Sunday behind a hattrick from Cherry Vilchez on the 14th, 18th and 52nd minutes. July Anne Bunac chipped in two goals and Jhekai Cantila added one goal to complete the rout. Ma. Inah Junessa Rosales netted Ateneo High School's goal on the 72nd.

This came on the heels of a 5-0 thrashing victory over Hinex Football Club on Saturday. Joy Rivera (32nd, 36th) and Bunac (42nd, 45th) led the charge by hitting two goals each as Cantila (19th) made one goal in the bootfest organized by the DFA and backed up by Taku Football Foundation, Edge Outdoor, Hinex Janitorial & Allied Services, Instatech, and San Iker Garments.

United Football League sides Global FC and the Loyola Meralco Sparks will begin their respective quarterfinal campaigns in the 2013 Singapore Cup this week.

The Filipino squads will be against sides from the S.League, Singapore’s premier football competition.

Global will face Brunei Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota (DPMM) FC on Wednesday and Saturday at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore for the two-legged tie.

DPMM FC has had some success in the local competition, winning the Singapore Cup in 2009 and 2012.

Loyola will battle Tanjong Pagar United FC on Thursday at the Queenstown Stadium and Sunday at the Jalan Besar Stadium in the city-state for their own quarterfinal matchup.

Tanjong Pagar also clinched the Singapore Cup during its inaugural edition in 1998.

If Global and Loyola win their respective quarterfinal campaigns, the two teams will forge an all-Filipino semifinal matchup in the Singapore Cup, where the Philippines started participating just last year.

Global and Loyola reached the quarterfinals after posting impressive victories in the opening round. The Sparks walloped Harimau Muda B of Malaysia, 3-0, last May.

Making its first appearance in the tournament, Global ousted defending Singapore Cup champion Warriors FC, 2-0, last June.

The Singapore Cup is an annual invitational tournament featuring clubs from the S.League and abroad, mostly from Southeast Asia.

20 July 2013

MARK Hartmann is definitely one of the top booters in the United Football League (UFL), pulling the strings in midfield for a Loyola Meralco Sparks’ squad that boasts one of the league’s most offensively potent lineups.

But with the recent transfer of Hartmann to Global, one former teammate who will probably be affected the most is Phil Younghusband, who has been the recipient of numerous passes that led him to becoming the second-leading scorer in the recently concluded UFL season.

“He’s a big loss,” admitted the Sparks’ star striker, who finished the season with 17 goals, only one behind Golden Ball and Boot winner Rufo Sanchez. “A lot (of goals) went through Mark and he supplied a lot to me.”

“But we have to look at another direction now on how we can get success,” added Younghusband, who turns 26 on August 4.

The Sparks are starting to make steps toward rebuilding by recruiting two imports for the Singapore Cup in goalkeeper Baba Sampana and center back Samuel Bonney.

The Ghanaian recruits suited up on Friday when Loyola had its first tune-up game after the UFL break at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig, a 5-4 win over a selection of players from newly minted champion Stallion, Kaya, and Nomads.

So far, Sampana and Bonney have been able to mesh well with mainstays like James Younghusband, Matthew Hartmann, Armand del Rosario, and Jake Morallo.

“What’s good is the majority of the team stayed together, so system-wise, we only need to adjust a few players,” Sparks coach Vince Santos said. “But they’re professionals so it’s been easier than I expected.”

The Sparks have been practicing for three weeks in preparation for the Singapore Cup quarterfinals, where they will face former champion Tanjong Pagar United in a two-legged series starting July 24.

“From today’s performance, a lot of positive to take out of it,” Santos said, adding the Sparks will have another tune-up game on Monday before leaving for Singapore the next day.

19 July 2013

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said the under-23 team that the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) plans to form for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar might end up beingbeaten black and blue by the opposition, but he is not totally discounting thepossibility that a team might be sent.“Eh kung biglang na-murder?” said POC president Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco yesterday, hinting of the strong possibility of it being overpowered by the regional powerhouses, countries that regularly maintain a solid under-23 team specifically meant for the SEAG wars.Cojuangco said he doesn’t like to see football suffering the same fate of the much-ballyhooed Philippine Volcanoes rugby team, which got massacred in their campaign abroad.“I wonder who’s going to get inspired,” said Cojuangco, sounding off that while he recognizes football’s rise, he doesn’t want the public to end up broken-hearted.“It’s not because we haven’t decided yet doesn’t mean they’re not going,” said Cojuangco.Cojuangco said the PFF has to convince the SEAG Task Force that it can bring home the gold medal by detailing its chances against their rivals while brushing off the idea that this year’s SEAG will be an opportunity to gain experience.“Kung pupunta tayo para lamang mag-practice, malaking kalokohan yan.”The last time the PFF sent an under-23 team to the SEAG, it failed to get past the elimination round, something the POC and PSC vividly remember.“Football is not yet out. But they have to prove they have a chance of winning the gold. I want to see who they’re going up against. How can you win when you don’t know who you’d be playing against?”POC first vice-president Joey Romasanta said it would be an uphill climb for the PFF because the “under-23 doesn’t have a track to speak of.”Romasanta had earlier urged the PFF to find a SEAG-caliber tournament overseas where it can strut its stuff.Besides, the deadline for the submission of names for the SEAG won’t happen until late October.Manila Bulletin

The women’s national football team known as the Malditas will train the United States with its eye on a possible stint in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games in December.

National women’s team coach Ernie Nierras will be in the US next month before heading to Myanmar in September for the AFF Women’s Championship.

In the group stage of the AFF tourney, the Malditas are bracketed with Laos, Indonesia and Asian powerhouse Japan.

The schedule comes even as their status, along with the men’s U-23 and futsal teams for Myanmar is still in limbo.

The Philippine Olympic Committee said it must first be convinced that the football teams can win a medal before giving the go signal on the SEA Games trip.

“We just have to keep doing what we have to do to convince (the POC) that we deserve to play in the SEA Games,” Nierras said.

The last time the Malditas saw action in the SEAG was during the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima tilt where they failed to advance past the group stage.

The Malditas have improved substantially. They had a solid showing in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers where they barely missed a spot in the main tournament after placing second to Thailand in Group B.

The Malditas also made a significant rise in the FIFA rankings last June when they gained seven places and are now ranked No. 76 in the world.

“For whatever reason we don’t get to play in the SEA Games, we will stay with our earlier plans which include the staging of a quadrangular tournament here,” said Nierras. –

Spanish striker Rufo Sanchez will make his debut for Global when the former United Football League champions face DPMM Brunei in the RHB Singapore Cup quarterfinals on July 24 and 27 at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Sanchez, the top scorer of the UFL this season with 18 goals for Stallion, has been named in the 20-man squad that will also include other new signings like Jamille Muncada, Amani Aguinaldo and Paolo Bugas.

Misagh Bahadoran, the one of the scorers in the first round win over Warriors FC, has also been listed together with Carlie De Murga, Jeffrey Christiaens and Ben Starosta.

Foreign players have been a fixture in the Philippine football scene. With the sport still developing in the country, imports whose skills and talent continue to thrive in the local scene.

But the United Football League has made a move to put a cap on foreign players for each club. Starting next season, the league will implement a new rule limiting on the number of imports a team may use during matches.

In the foreign player rule, five imports will be allowed on the pitch for each team during a match. Two more foreign players can play, provided that they have been permanent residents of the Philippines for at least five years.

The move will help the UFL become more competitive in international competitions, according to general manager Cesar de Larrazabal.

“We are presently gearing up for alignment with the (Asian Football Confederation) rules on competition that would allow the UFL teams to be more competitive and prepared for AFC international tournaments,” de Larrazabal said.

Last May, the Philippines made its debut in the AFC President’s Cup, a tournament featuring clubs from the emerging football nations in Asia. The reigning UFL champion at the time, Global FC, represented the country in its first appearance in the competition.

The President’s Cup only allowed two foreigners for each club, which meant Global had to reduce the imports on its roster. The squad borrowed a number of local players, most notably Azkals goalkeeper Ed Sacapaño and midfielder Jason De Jong, in an effort to make up for the loss of its foreign players for the tournament.

Global lost two of its three matches to bow out of the tournament.

‘Good compromise’

For Stallion Sta. Lucia coach Ernie Nierras, whose team bagged the Cup and League competitions last season, limiting foreign players in the UFL will benefit Philippine football in the long run.

“I believe that this is a good compromise,” Nierras said. “To help develop more local talent, we need to put a cap on the number of imports.”

Ironically, Nierras’ Stallion has drawn a lot of benefit from the addition of foreign players to boost its lineup. This included Spanish striker Rufo Sanchez, who took home the UFL’s top individual honors last season.

Nierras sees one problem with the proposed measure.

“The question we should be addressing is the availability of local players, and the quality of local players,” Nierras said.

“We would like to say that we have an abundance of local players, that they can match up to the quality of imports. But if that was the case, then we would not be addressing the need to limit foreign players on the team.”

Nierras hopes that more varsity athletes from colleges and universities, as well as Filipino players who have foreign lineage, join the UFL to help address the lack of local talent in the country.

Too early

The foreign player rule could also affect the level of competition in the UFL, according to Jeff Blake, goalkeeper for Nomads FC and a member of the team management.

“The foreigner rule is a good idea in concept as it will promote the growth of Filipino football in the long-term,” said Blake, an American national. “However, in the short-term, I do think that the level will drop.

“I think that this is being implemented a year or two too early.”

Among the clubs in the UFL, Nomads has the strongest foreigner tradition. Founded in 1914, the club has strong links with the expatriate community in the country. Its players originate from 12 countries, including the Philippines.

Despite its inclination toward foreign players, Nomads have already started to inject some local talent in its roster. In its eighth-place finish last season, the squad signed a number of Filipinos during the League competition, and Blake said that there would be no problem adding some more.

“Throughout the season, there were times where we did start four Filipinos which is better than some other teams,” Blake said. “As to our play, if new players are to be brought in, we will look for those that fit within our team mold and chemistry.”

‘Ano ba purpose ng liga?’

But for Philippine Air Force coach Edzel Bracamonte, the foreign player rule could still be improved. After dominating the UFL just two years ago, the squad struggled last season, failing to keep up against its import-laden opponents.

One factor in Air Force’s dismal showing could be attributed to the strict rule of military teams of recruiting only Filipino players. The team was relegated after losing 16 of its 18 matches to finish at the bottom of the table and join Philippine Navy in Division Two. Philippine Army also had to figure in a playoff match to remain as the only Armed Forces team in the first division.

But for Nierras, foreign players are still needed to help improve the UFL and local players as well. He said that a system “properly mixing the local and foreign players” is needed to extract the best from them.

“Our local players need exposure to build their confidence. Teams with foreign players tend to do well, as long as you have good local players also,” Nierras said.

“What the local players have done is show that they can compete with the imports, and that is what this league needs.”